Private pilot on a local night flight penetrates class C airspace.

Attributes
ACN	286022
Time
Date	199409
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gso airport : int
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 3000 msl bound upper : 3000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : gso
Operator	general aviation : personal
Make Model Name	PA-28 Cherokee/Archer II/Dakota/Pillan/Warrior
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 90 flight time type : 10
ASRS Report	286022
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : approach
Qualification	controller : radar
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far other anomaly other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	atc equipment other atc equipment : unspecified other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : became reoriented other
Consequence	faa : investigated faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Took off from winston-salem airport at XA00 or XA15 after getting ground clearance from gbo (winston-salem closes after xcpm local). Switched back to winston-salem CTAF to advise traffic of departure and position. Thought I didn't need to contact gbo approach because I was flying west and south of their control zone to do some practice night lndgs at smaller airports to the south. Somehow got lost at night, though, and upon returning to land at winston-salem, wandered unknowingly through gbo's airspace, while I was still on winston-salem's CTAF. Luckily, gbo approach get in touch with me on winston-salem's CTAF, told me of my error, etc. I immediately apologized for my error and gbo approach guided me back with vectors to land at winston-salem. Plane was piper warrior hangared at chapel hills H. Williams airport. The problem came from the fact that I was too inexperienced at night flying, night navigation. Recommendation: don't fly at night unless with an instructor or until instrument rating is attained. This is the best lesson I learned about night flying, and so it won't happen again. It is also my advice to other private pilots who want to be safety conscious.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT ON A LCL NIGHT FLT PENETRATES CLASS C AIRSPACE.

Narrative: TOOK OFF FROM WINSTON-SALEM ARPT AT XA00 OR XA15 AFTER GETTING GND CLRNC FROM GBO (WINSTON-SALEM CLOSES AFTER XCPM LCL). SWITCHED BACK TO WINSTON-SALEM CTAF TO ADVISE TFC OF DEP AND POS. THOUGHT I DIDN'T NEED TO CONTACT GBO APCH BECAUSE I WAS FLYING W AND S OF THEIR CTL ZONE TO DO SOME PRACTICE NIGHT LNDGS AT SMALLER ARPTS TO THE S. SOMEHOW GOT LOST AT NIGHT, THOUGH, AND UPON RETURNING TO LAND AT WINSTON-SALEM, WANDERED UNKNOWINGLY THROUGH GBO'S AIRSPACE, WHILE I WAS STILL ON WINSTON-SALEM'S CTAF. LUCKILY, GBO APCH GET IN TOUCH WITH ME ON WINSTON-SALEM'S CTAF, TOLD ME OF MY ERROR, ETC. I IMMEDIATELY APOLOGIZED FOR MY ERROR AND GBO APCH GUIDED ME BACK WITH VECTORS TO LAND AT WINSTON-SALEM. PLANE WAS PIPER WARRIOR HANGARED AT CHAPEL HILLS H. WILLIAMS ARPT. THE PROB CAME FROM THE FACT THAT I WAS TOO INEXPERIENCED AT NIGHT FLYING, NIGHT NAV. RECOMMENDATION: DON'T FLY AT NIGHT UNLESS WITH AN INSTRUCTOR OR UNTIL INST RATING IS ATTAINED. THIS IS THE BEST LESSON I LEARNED ABOUT NIGHT FLYING, AND SO IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. IT IS ALSO MY ADVICE TO OTHER PVT PLTS WHO WANT TO BE SAFETY CONSCIOUS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.